Sven Berlin (1911 - 1999)

Sven Paul Berlin (1911 – 1999) was an English painter, writer and sculptor. He moved to Cornwall in the late 1930’s and became part of the St. Ives group of artists for which the area is now well-known.

Berlin is also known or his controversial autobiography The Dark Monarch, which was withdrawn from sale just days after publication in 1962 following legal action from friends and colleagues who were not happy with the way they were represented. The book became the theme of an exhibition in Tate St Ives in autumn 2009 when it was re-published.

Having spent a few years on the Isle of Wight in the early 1970’s he finally settled just outside Wimborne in Dorset, with his third wife. Sven Berlin continued producing artworks and writing up until his death, aged 88.